2011 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot Decoy Napa Valley

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Napa Valley 2011

The 2011 vintage in California presented growers with a number of challenges throughout the season. Overall, it was cooler and wetter than normal, with yields down from 2010, which was also smaller than normal. In these conditions, growers who managed their crop loads and canopies well and worked hard in the vineyards made some very elegant wines with good flavors, better known for their cool elegance rather than power. Those who did not struggled, and as a result the quality of the wines is more variable than normal for California.

A wet, cool spring slowed the onset of bud break, and the delays continued through flowering and fruit set, with crop loads reduced due to shatter. Some regions suffered from frost in April, severely reducing yields, especially in parts of the Central Coast. In Napa, rainfall was about 30% above normal for the year, good for the drought, but the cool temperatures and grey skies were no help to the grapes. The stage was set from the beginning for a smaller-than-average crop and a later-than-normal harvest. Summer was no help at all and was cooler than normal, slowing ripening and pushing harvest back further. Work in the vineyard included opening canopies to allow more light and circulation of air, to encourage ripening in the cool conditions, and to minimize the risk of rot and mildew. The start of the harvest in Napa was one of the latest in memory, with even the sparkling wine growers not starting until August 29th.

By the time September came, vineyard managers were working overtime to salvage what they could, hoping that the low yields would offset the cool temperatures and the vines could focus what energy they had into their lighter fruit load. If the weather improved and held through September and October, they could eke out a small but good quality harvest.

But it was not to be. In mid-September, conditions improved and spell of warm, dry weather ensued, sparking a late burst of ripening — but would it be enough? Early-ripening grapes took advantage and fared better, with Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, and some of the white varieties faring the best. But it wasn’t to last. With rain and cool temperatures forecast for the first week of October, growers faced a decision to pick before the rains and deal with the devil they knew — namely grapes that weren’t as ripe as they ideally would like — or roll the dice and hope things improved after. Cool rain arrived on October 3rd, followed by a few nice days before the next round.

With rain again in the forecast, growers faced the same decision again. It arrived on the 10th, this time in a warm, humid weather pattern. After the rains, botrytis set in and the fight was on. Those who had hoped to wait it out and get late-season ripening now faced another dilemma: waiting for ripeness and combating the rot, trying not to be forced to pick before optimum ripeness was achieved. That said, conditions were variable, with some sites affected dramatically and others faring surprisingly well. All of these problems contributed to the variable quality of the year, and winemakers were earning their keep in this difficult year. After the rain on the 10th, the weather cleared and was bright through November, but rot continued to cause problems, and unfortunately much of the damage was already done.

In the end, it’s a variable crop of wines in terms of quality, as one would expect in this scenario. It’s a vintage to buy with caution. There are some lovely wines — cooler, more elegant and less alcohol — a more European-styled vintage. But there also many that display unripe, green notes that are the results of the difficult season.

Key Dates

April

Frost affects Paso Robles

August

Sparkling wine harvest begins, the latest date in memory

September

Warm, dry conditions arrive, sparking a late burst of energy in the grapes, perhaps saving the vintage

October

The first of a one-two punch hits in the middle of harvest; Cool rains, followed by cool but decent weather

October

Rain and warm, humid, almost-tropical conditions wreak havoc; Damp ground, ample rain to swell the grapes, and warm temperatures make a perfect environment for botrytis, and it takes it toll as the harvest wraps up

About Duckhorn Vineyards

Producer Facts

Winery Name

Duckhorn Vineyards

Web Site

http://www.duckhorn.com/

Ownership/Management

Dan and Margaret Duckhorn

Founded by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn in 1976, Duckhorn Vineyards was established early on in the modern Napa Valley boom. The first vintage, produced in 1978, consisted of 800 cases each of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. At the time, Merlot was primarily used as a blending agent, but after falling under its spell on a trip to Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, Dan Duckhorn became one of the grape’s early proponents in Napa. Today, much of Duckhorn’s outstanding reputation comes from its Merlots, notably the Three Palms bottling. From the eponymous vineyard in Calistoga, this wine has been released every year since 1978. According to winemaker Renée Ary, the vineyard’s deconstructed rock soils, loaded with sand, cobbles, and stones from Selby Creek, create a high stress environment for the Merlot. The result is highly concentrated, flavorful wine.

A New Jersey native, Renée Ary is only the fourth winemaker in Duckhorn’s history. Her family relocated to California when she was 18 years old, and she graduated from Saint Mary’s College with degrees in chemistry and art. Like so many other winemakers, she started in the lab at Robert Mondavi, where she spent four years working with some of the tops in the trade. She also bolstered her wine knowledge by taking classes at Napa Valley College and UC Davis. Renée joined the team at Duckhorn in 2003, spending the next 11 years learning the craft under winemaker Mark Beringer. In 2014, she took the reins herself. Renée’s considerable experience with virtually every aspect of the winery has given her an excellent sense of how things work here. Although the operation is fairly large, her approach is much more akin to that of a smaller winery. Multiple small lots from their estate vineyards, along with purchased fruit, are all handled on a very individual basis.

About Merlot

Merlot Facts

Flavor Profile

Medium to full-bodied wines with flavors of black cherry, plum, and tobacco

Food Pairings

Roasts, hamburgers, other grilled meats

Merlot enjoyed a surge in popularity in the 1990s as consumers suddenly discovered that they could enjoy aromas and flavors similar to those of Cabernet in a fleshier, softer wine with smoother tannins. A wave of Merlot plantings followed, frequently in soils and microclimates completely inappropriate for this variety, and the market was soon flooded with dilute bottles from young vines and high crop levels, and weedy, herbaceous examples from underripe fruit. Many of these undernourished wines were overoaked in attempts to mask their deficiencies. Over the same period, a number of Cabernet producers began picking riper fruit and doing a better job managing their tannings during the making and aging of their wines. The result was an upswing of powerful, satisfying Cabernets that were far less austere in their youth -- and a sharp decline in interest in Merlot.

Still, California's best Merlots, some of which predated the vogue for this variety in the 1990s, continue to be some of the finest examples of this variety outside Bordeaux -- in the same quality league with wines from Washington State and Italy's Tuscan coast region. Expect to find broad, supple wines with medium to full body, typically with aromas and flavors of black cherry, plum, dark berries, dark chocolate, tobacco, and earth, and suave, fine-grained tannins. Merlot also rules in Pomerol, and nowhere in the world does this variety make more complete wines than on the flat, clay-rich plateau that lies at the heart of this appellation.